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Electronic Arts has confirmed that BioWare is closing and said it will end early development on the next Mass Effect game. Bloomberg reports that EA is laying off about 400 employees, including around 50 at BioWare; the company has not confirmed those figures in the supplied statements.
Electronic Arts has confirmed it is closing BioWare and ending early development on the next Mass Effect game, a major change for the studio behind several influential role-playing franchises. Bloomberg separately reports that EA is cutting about 400 jobs company-wide, including around 50 at BioWare; those layoff figures are reported, rather than confirmed in the statements provided.
EA executives Cam Weber, president and chief studios officer, and David Tinson, president and chief operating officer, described BioWare as a studio that helped define role-playing games. They said the decision was not taken lightly. In its own message, BioWare said it was closing after more than 30 years and that work in the early stages on the next Mass Effect project was ending.
The studio’s statement named games from across its history, including Baldur’s Gate, Neverwinter Nights, Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic, Dragon Age and Mass Effect. BioWare said its immediate focus was on its team and supporting employees through the closure. It thanked players for their role in shaping the studio’s worlds and stories.
Bloomberg reports that roughly 50 BioWare employees are among about 400 EA workers losing their jobs. The supplied source does not include a complete breakdown, a precise effective date or details of severance and support. The closure and Mass Effect development decision were announced amid wider changes to EA’s business and projects.
The Future of Mass Effect and BioWare
The closure ends the operation of a studio whose games have helped define story-focused role-playing experiences for more than three decades. It also changes the outlook for Mass Effect: EA says it is not continuing early development on the next game, leaving no confirmed release plan for that project in the material available.
For employees, the decision means the loss of BioWare as a workplace and raises immediate questions about job support and where any continuing work may go. For players, it leaves the future of franchises associated with the studio uncertain. EA has not said whether another team will take responsibility for Mass Effect or Dragon Age, or whether projects tied to those series will continue in a different form.
The closure is part of a larger restructuring at EA, but the supplied announcement does not establish that every change is directly caused by the studio’s performance or the company’s ownership change. The reported layoffs would affect workers beyond BioWare, making the wider reorganization relevant to staff across the publisher.
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A Studio Facing Recent Setbacks
BioWare’s history includes major role-playing series as well as Anthem, a live-service game released in 2019. The source describes later years as less successful for the studio. It says Mass Effect: Andromeda, released in 2017, was widely viewed as a misstep, and that Anthem did not deliver on EA’s live-service bet.
EA laid off some BioWare employees in 2025 after Dragon Age: The Veilguard missed sales expectations, according to the source. Those earlier job cuts preceded the closure announced now. EA was also taken private in a $55 billion deal led by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, Silver Lake and Affinity Partners, which closed in August, the source reports. The material does not say that the acquisition alone prompted the BioWare decision.
EA’s broader staff announcement also described changes elsewhere in its portfolio. The company said Respawn and DICE will work together on a future project; Bloomberg characterized a new Star Wars: Battlefront game as likely, not confirmed. EA said it remains at work on Marvel’s Iron Man and another Star Wars Jedi title. These plans provide a snapshot of other announced projects, but do not clarify what becomes of BioWare’s remaining work.
““BioWare is a legendary studio that helped define the role-playing genre, and we do not take this decision lightly.””
— Cam Weber, EA president and chief studios officer, and David Tinson, EA president and COO
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Open Questions After the Closure
EA has not said whether another studio will continue work on Mass Effect, whether the project could be restarted later, or what will happen to any work already completed. The announcement describes development as ending in its early stages; it does not provide a release date, project scope or explanation of whether the title had been formally approved for production.
The reported figure of about 400 layoffs, including around 50 at BioWare, comes from Bloomberg. The source material does not provide a public EA confirmation of the total, the full list of affected studios, or details about severance and relocation options. It also does not clarify whether BioWare’s name, intellectual property or any ongoing franchise responsibilities will be retained elsewhere within EA.
The source initially described the future of Amazon’s Mass Effect television series as unclear: Amazon MGM Studios declined to comment, and EA said it had nothing to share at that point. It later reports that IGN said Wednesday evening the show remains in development. No direct confirmation from Amazon or further details about the series are included in the material.
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EA’s Next Steps for Its Franchises
The immediate next step is EA’s handling of the BioWare closure and support for affected workers. The company has not supplied a detailed timetable for the shutdown or the reported layoffs. Any clarification of severance, project transfers and future franchise plans would help establish what the decision means for employees and players.
EA’s staff announcement outlined other projects and adjustments across its business, including ongoing work on Iron Man and a new Star Wars Jedi title. The company also described changes to its Sims and Skate plans. Those announcements indicate that EA is reallocating attention across its portfolio, but they do not answer whether Mass Effect will return under another team.
For now, the confirmed position is that BioWare is closing and early development on its next Mass Effect game is ending. Further statements from EA about the studio’s remaining projects, affected staff and franchise ownership would clarify what follows.
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Key Questions
Is EA shutting down BioWare?
Yes. EA confirmed that BioWare is closing after more than 30 years. The date and detailed closure process are not specified in the supplied material.
What is happening to the next Mass Effect game?
EA said it is ending early development on the next Mass Effect project. It has not said whether another team will take over or whether the game could be revived later.
How many employees are losing their jobs?
Bloomberg reports that EA is cutting about 400 jobs, including around 50 at BioWare. The provided source material does not include an EA confirmation of those figures or a full breakdown.
Will the Mass Effect television series still be made?
The source says IGN reported Wednesday evening that the Amazon series remains in development. Amazon MGM Studios and EA had not provided further comment in the statements cited, so details about production and timing remain unclear.
Source: hn
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